tl;dr
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breathless jubilation by the Left
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a young brown Muslim American New Yorker
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we live in exciting times
Summary
Everyone has takes! Here's one worth reading (Substack that taught me the term "sewer socialism"), and here's a highly entertaining watch (1:35 on YouTube).
Saagar was a bit bleh, in a I-see-you-brown-king-but-this-politics-is-my-thing-bruh tone lmao, while Krystal Ball was definitely more enthusiastic lol. Mamdani's win will probably turn out to be a seismic shift in the Democratic Party--which everyone basically agrees is necessary--and if so, will be interesting for the US and the world.
I just want to try to capture some of my first-24-hours reactions. I feel excitement for a leftist politician for only the second time in my life, not since Yitzhak Rabin and his hopeful message of peace.
These Are My Confessions
I first saw his name on mailers several weeks ago, vilifying the NY Assemblyman as a socialist and vaguely gesturing in the direction of jihadist-sympathizer. I didn't pay that much attention. He seemed to be polling too low to matter.
Then the day before the election, YouTube suddenly had a ton of super fun stuff that I couldn't turn away from.
Identity Stuff That May Interest Only Me
I'm a Gen X Texas Asian who made my home in New York City. I went to a more diverse high school than any university in America: we had pork-eating Muslims and beef-eating Hindus, fans of gangsta rap and kicker music and grunge, Viet hustlers and Taiwanese nerds. I was in the choir with a few effeminate dudes who were best friends with chubby girls; I totally assumed they were getting it in, not gay. One guy drove his family's tractor to school (to show off). A few guys had $100k sports cars in high school that their absentee parents in Asia had bought them.
The only relatively under-represented groups in our school were Africans (we were in the suburbs), Koreans (different suburbs), and Jews (too far away from synagogues). Our Chinese church in the city (which was 25 minutes away by car) had started out renting space from a synagogue: it was empty on Sundays and they let us HK and Taiwanese Evangelicals rent the space before we could afford our own building. I was too young to remember, but I'm pretty sure we didn't serve lunch then. You know, since later on, our lunch was always, you know, fatty pork over rice lol.
All this to say, Zohran comes across as a funny cousin or nephew who made some decent rap videos, with local Ugandans who really seem to enjoy being in the video (except the dude at 0:45 lol). A kind of cultural chameleon and liminal space occupier that we recognize, and can be proud of for his game.
In New York terms, the dude grew up in Morningside Heights and went to Bronx Science. He's been around more blacks Jews Latinos and Asian kids than white people. With a more diverse upbringing than just about anyone in the world, including private school kids in Manhattan, who get a carefully-curated mix of just-right representation. The selective public high schools are more like, oh you qualify? Here, let's see how you do in this meat grinder, Hasaan Natalya Kwaame Sergei Olumide Chitkwan or Grace.
Politics and Policies
In addition to the entertainment value and youth-appealing production of his videos, Mamdani is truly a talented politician. He executed the messaging side as well as anyone (see his appearance on Colbert Show). With clarity, gravitas, command, and personal identification with the question's asker as well as the audience.
He's got the vulnerable intimacy of Hasan Minhaj, if he actually had to try to win votes. He's got the likability of AOC if she weren't an attractive Latina but instead a bearded Muslim man.
His policies sound highly unrealistic to my ears: municipal grocery stores, free buses, freeze on rent increases, additional taxes on companies and high earners. But it would be simplistic to reduce it to an appeal to younger voters who are easily fooled. Unlike AOC or Bernie who use student loan forgiveness as a class-plus-generational wedge, Mamdani has chosen to spin visions that seem to be quite the opposite of pandering: My fellow New Yorkers, forget about getting a fresh smoothie from Whole Foods or Gristedes. You will enjoy the great privilege to buy groceries from a municipal commissary instead. We all dream of living in Moscow-on-Hudson, with the breadth of options of a Kinshasa aid truck. We will cut the evil, dastardly, bureaucratic red tape so you only have to pay $8 for street meat, maybe $7 inshallah.
The Official Steve Harvey on Government Cheese
Free buses OK, good messaging. Everyone likes free and smooth. It still feels funky though. Everybody understands the fundamental rule of New York City existence: "This is why we can't have nice things."
What do we have that's free and good? The big, grand, central NYPL buildings in Manhattan and Brooklyn. But only with vigilant security to shunt the homeless to smaller local libraries to do their, ahem, internet browsing and bathroom sink showers. Yes indeed, we do benefit from free access to Central Park, but that's only with a honking pile of Paulson's tax break reputation laundering money. We know that when a mayor runs things, we get overrun by rats because Mayor Adams let garbage stay on the streets for several days.
Two Too Early Nah Nah's
I just want to wallow a little bit in the Mayor Adams comeuppance. Andrew Yang had said to him, "Eric, we all know you've been investigated for corruption everywhere you've gone" [2021 debates]. We all knew then. We all know now.
And to relish the Cuomo endorsements by Clyburn Clinton Bloomberg, et al. We all remember Governor Cuomo's comms and leadership of New York (State) through the pandemic. What a powerful zaddy! That Italian nose and unwavering stare. Irresistible to aunties everywhere! Most middle-aged men (me. it me lol) took quiet note of his creepy creep maneuvers to be seen by women his daughters' age.
Back in my day, kids would shout nasty names at known perverts and run away. In America 2025 on the precipice of AI takeover, they get endorsed by revered civil rights leaders, former presidents, and great philanthropists. It really do kinda be the funniest timeline.
nitty gritty local details
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Ranked Choice Voting is still a novelty. I remember poli-sci grad students 25 years ago talking excitedly about how it would solve the polarization of politics, and now after two iterations it's kind of entrenched in the mayoral primary process
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noting that Mamdani got early and enthusiastic support from AOC and Letitia James
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Brad Lander and Mamdani co-endorsed each other and co-campaigned. Lander is the highest-ranking Jewish elected politiciian in New York City
Do better, Billiam Ickmann
As I said up top, I don't pay much attention to things. I just assumed Mamdani was a Persian name, and based on his enthusiastic youthful supporters, expected a baseline of forceful anti-Bibi, anti-Zionist rhetoric, possibly trafficking in some of the antisemitic tropes that plague the American left including some of its most vocal leaders.
But then I found out who his parents are and where he grew up. Zohran must have grown up with and around so many Jewish kids! Not only the loud, harsh dudes with curls and black hats, but also the nebbish ones and the athletic ones and the funny ones and the flirty ones. I guess I should say, all the "people" ones.
The way to fight hate is with love. In order to love, you need to know. In order to know, you need to mix. It's pretty well proven, to mix people, just make them take the fugging 9 train followed by the bus every day to the Bronx.
Then I saw a YouTube video, where they showed how a graphic artist had doctored Mamdani's picture on the political flyers. Darkened and extended his standard Guju-Punjabi beard to look more habibi-ayiyiyiyi-allahuakbar-BOOM-y. Pure evil. The graphic artist, not the beard!
It is clear to every single political commentator that the Cuomo and Adams campaigns tried to lock down the Jewish vote. I imagine two possible conversations with the-mensch-who-shall-not-be-named-by-me (I was not part of this! I have no proof! it's just imagination):
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hey Billiam, take a look at this video on my phone. This NY politician is proposing a boycott of Israel. We must ensure there is balanced representation of all points of view in the political discourse
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hmm, this guy wants to raise corporate taxes, impose caps on the rent that landlords can charge, and tax millionaires. He absolutely must be stopped! I wonder what smear would stick ... wait, no way. His name is what?
Again, I don't know how well-intentioned or evidence-supported are the antisemitism charges levied against Mamdani. I've spent zero time poring over old videos and quotes. And talented politicans, like him, can certainly lie, pretend, bamboozle and hoodwink voters in order to get into power. But for now, the Lander endorsement is enough for me. Dude is a father of Jewish children and a public servant. I reserve the right to change my mind later.
We're watching you, Z!
